A vast majority of the nurses working at the government and non-government hospitals across the country are taking part in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic without adequate protective gear, says a recent survey.
According to the survey, around 85.66pc nurses do not have personal protective equipment while 71.93pc nurses did not receive any PPE set supplied by the government free of cost.
Among those who got PPE from the government, around 86.99 are dissatisfied with the quality, the survey adds.
Bangladesh Basic Graduate Society (BBGNS) and Society for Nurses’ Safety and Rights (SNSR) jointly conducted the online survey participated by 750 nurses from different government and private hospitals.
According to media reports, around 150 nurses across the country have been found positive for coronavirus until April 25 with more than 300 under home quarantine.
From the very beginning, questions have been raised against the quality of PPE supplied by government. Around 86.99 nurses participating in the survey are unsatisfied with the quality of PPE provided by the government.
On the other hand, over 58 percent nurses working in Covid-19 wards have expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of PPE.
Sabbir Mahmud Tihan and Humayun Kabir, spokespersons of the two organizations conducting the survey on nurses working in public and private hospitals in the country, told that about 150 nurses have already been affected by corona.
Both experts feel that nurses are becoming more infected due to the lack of full safety equipment and lack of infection prevention and control (IPC) training.
The government must take appropriate steps now to reduce the rate of infection. Otherwise, Bangladesh may face a crisis of skilled nurses in the near future
According to the Society for Nurses Safety and Rights, 152 nurses in 39 hospitals have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus as of Wednesday.
A few prominent hospitals where the virus has been detected amongst nurses are Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, Shahid Suhrawardi Medical College Hospital, Dhaka Shishu Hospital, Mugda Medical College Hospital, Birdem General Hospital, Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital, United Hospital, Popular Medical College Hospital, Ad-Din Medical College Hospital, Dhanmondi Ibn Sina Hospital and Asgar Ali Hospital.
Physicians and doctors are also dissatisfied with the quality of PPE. Bangladesh Doctors Foundation Chief Administrator Nirupam Das said that the number of healthcare personnel infected with Covid-19 has crossed 170 across the country.
In addition, there are 400 doctors in home and institutional quarantine across the country.
The medical leader blamed faulty PPE for so many doctors being infected. He complained that the PPEs provided to the doctors were defective.
He also alleged that doctors were being forced to see patients without PPE in private hospitals.
